When it was opened in 1929, the Music Box Theatre was considered tiny compared to its much larger, more palatial neighbors. Many of these larger theaters, like the Uptown Theatre, were often too large to stay in business throughout the rest of the 20th century.

The Music Box Theatre later played mainly second and third-run movies as well as closing and reopening several times. By the 1970’s, the theater was showing Spanish and Arabic-language movies, as well as porn. The theater had become more than a bit rough around the edges when it was closed in 1977.

Renovated in 1982, the Music Box Theatre reopened in 1983 and has been showing an eclectic mix of classic, foreign, and art house films ever since. In 1991, the Music Box Theatre added a small 100 person auditorium. The theater is located in the bustling Southport area of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

The second screening room will be closed for nearly a month for renovations. Add: a much larger screen and digital capability. Subtract: 28 seats, reducing the seating capacity to 70. Story at DNAinfo.

humor aside there’s news the theatre is expanding by purchasing the north adjacent property, ostensibly for the purpose of building a third auditorium in the existing building there. the sale just closed i think

got some more info via facebook from the theater – Eastman ‘25’ projector for 16mm playback. Kinoton FP-20 for 35mm projection in the second auditorium. The NEC projector is not 3D capable. No word on if a 7.1 movie could be played back as such though.